# The Business of Art

Buy more hats. You'll need them. You’re an artist, a writer, a creator, a professional, and a business person.

Writing might be kind of a solitary endeavor, but publishing is very collaborative—it won't be just you anymore.

Stand in front of that mirror and ask, “Self, do you want to have a writing career? Are you willing to dare to be vulnerable? To speak positively about yourself and your work?"

“Be careful of what you wish for,” my dad said, as I popped my first letter to Jerry Bruckheimer in the mail.

As “working screenwriters” who’d already at that point grown terminally ill of the bureaucracy surrounding film productions and the industry in general, we vowed to make this maverick film completely outside of the traditional channels and system.

"That moment has got to feel like the greatest moment of this guy's life, you know, like we're behind him and not in front of him."

When the editors had a story idea that could get a journalist maimed or killed, I was among the first scribes they’d reach out to.

A way to play the numbers game that is publishing in a confined amount of time knowing that you gave the best options your best shot.

But you need to be careful, set clear boundaries, and have an ironclad goal in mind for when to turn the tap off and send a bill.

As a debut author, I didn’t know what to expect. Hopefully my road leading to publication will help readers who are on a similar journey, or who will be soon.

What happened? Where did all the good movies go? And most crucially, why have our viewing habits changed so much?

Before you build a dam or put up power lines, make sure the core filament in your idea bulb actually works. And how do you do that? Proof of concept.

Hollywood is deep in the throes of capitalist puppy-love with pre-existing intellectual property. But how do you get the underlying rights?

This process is frustrating, agonizing, soul-crushing, but also rewarding, exciting, and I cannot imagine doing anything else.

I remember projects where the writers excitedly discuss their stories. Joy, heartache, and love of the story make all the difference.